Advance Module Name: Planetary Gravity Fields from Spacecraft Radio Tracking

Identification number
MN-GM-
GEOSRT

Workload

180 h

Credits

6

Term of studying
1^st - 3^rd Semester

Frequency of
occurrence
Summer term

Duration

1 semester

1

Type of lessons

a) Lecture

b) Exercises

c) Seminar

Contact times

30 h

15 h

15 h

Self-study times

60 h

30 h

30 h

Intended group size
15

2

Aims of the module and acquired skills

• Introduction to methods for the determination of masses, gravity fields, bulk densities of solar system objects from observations

Acquired skills:

• presentation techniques, critical assessment, and discussion of scientific work.

3

Contents of the module

1. Introduction

   • What is Radio Tracking (Radio Science)?

   • Motivation: Why are planetary gravity fields interesting?

2. Force of gravity (brief recall)

   • Kepler laws and Newtons Formulation

   • The potential of a massive body

   • The Laplace Equation and its solution

   • The Meaning of the Gravity Coefficients

3. Determination of global gravity fields (method)

   • Spacecraft radio tracking

   • Spacecraft orbits and perturbations

   • Global gravity fields

4. Mass determinations from Flybys

   • mass determination from spacecraft flybys

   • error budgets

   • examples: dwarf-planets, moons, asteroids

5. Global gravity fields (observations)

   • Earth

   • Mars, Venus & Mercury

   • Giant planets

6. Extrasolar planetary systems

4

Teaching/Learning methods

Lectures

Exercises: in-depth discussion and calculations of selected topics

Seminar: presentation of selected topics and cases by the students

5

Requirements for participation

Formal: None.

With regards to content: Knowledge of basics of mathematics, physics and space geophysics is strongly advised.

6

Type of module examinations

Written Examination (graded)

7

Requisites for the allocation of credits

Successful participation in the exercises is a prerequisite for the admission to the written exam. Successful participation in the seminar (ungraded) and successful participation in the exam (graded) are prerequisites for the allocation of credits.

At the end of the semester or to the beginning of the following semester a possibility to repeat the examination is offered. A failed examination may be repeated twice. Additional possibilities to repeat an examination exist according to the examination regulations (§ 20 section 1).

Assessments which have been passed are not allowed to be taken again. There is an exception: If at the end of a module which consists of a lecture and tutorial classes, the student takes the assessment at the first available date after having received admission to the module exam, he/she is then allowed to take the assessment again at the next available date for the purpose of improving the grade, even if he/she passed the assessment the first time – in this case, the better of the two grades will count towards the final degree grade (§ 20 section 9).

The module mark is the grade obtained in the assessment. In the case of two passed assessments the module mark is the better grade.

8

Compatibility with other Curricula

• Suitable as an elective course for mathematics, physics and geoscience students

9

Significance of the module mark for the overall grade
6/120

10

Module coordinator
M. Pätzold

11

Additional information

Teaching language: Englisch

Additional literature:  Murray & Dermott, Solar System Dynamics, Cambridge University Press 1999, 2010; ISBN 0-521-57597-4